Many industries use trucks for the transportation of their goods. To transport a liquid, a truck is provided with a transport tank mounted to a frame of the truck or to a trailer of the truck. When the liquid is to be transported under pressure, the transport tank needs to be constructed to withstand this pressure. One example of such a liquid is a liquefied petroleum gas, such as propane. Typically, in order to withstand internal pressures, transport tanks are made of metal, such as carbon or stainless steel, and have a cylindrical central section and two generally curved ends. Although metal transport tanks such as the one described above are suitable for the transport of pressurized liquids they have some drawbacks.
In most jurisdictions, the total truck weight (truck plus payload) or total trailer weight (trailer plus payload) is not allowed to exceed a predetermined maximum weight. As a metal transport tank is heavy, the maximum weight of the payload that can be transported is less than could otherwise be transported if the transport tank was lighter. Also, a metal transport tank tends to corrode over time which requires maintenance, repair, and in some cases replacement of the tank.
One solution to the above-mentioned drawbacks of metal transport tanks consist in making the transport tank out of composite material. For tanks of the same volume, composite transport tanks are lighter than metal transport tanks. As a result, by using a composite transport tank, the maximum weight of the payload that can be transported can be increased. Also, composite materials are typically less susceptible to corrosion than metals.
When transporting liquids, tanks can be subjected to sloshing. Sloshing is the motion of liquid against the tank's walls, due to inertia forces. Sloshing appears, for example, when the truck accelerates or brakes. When a liquid sloshes, great forces are generated at the tank's wall on which the liquid is projected, which may render the truck unstable and/or difficult to control.
One way to decrease sloshing is to dispose within the tank one or more baffles. The baffles break the motion of the liquid, which in turn decreases the forces generated by sloshing. Some baffles are fixed to the tank. When fixed to the tank, the baffles have to be securely fixed to the tank wall with sufficient strength to sustain the forces generated by the sloshing. When the tank is made of metal, it is usual to weld the baffles or the baffle connectors to the tank. However, when the tank is not made of metal, welding, in the same manner as for metal tanks, can lead to zones of stresses at the weld which ultimately may break off the connection between the baffle and the tank when the baffles are subjected to the sloshing forces. In addition, it is desirable that the baffles be removable to allow inspection and cleaning of the tank.
Therefore, there is a need for a transport tank with a baffle, removably connected to the tank, where the divider or baffle would in addition be adapted for use in composite tanks.